The period of the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258) has long been recognized as the formative period of Islamic civilization with its various achievements in the areas of science, literature, and culture.

Though little remembered in the west today, the Abbasids reigned for five centuries. They oversaw an era of Islamic military dominance... city-building… brilliant scholarship, and technological ...

Most of the money dates back to the early Islamic period, when the region was part of the Abbasid caliphate. The coins weigh 845g (30oz) and would have been worth a huge sum when they were buried ...